Sandwich Tern

Thalasseus sandvicensis

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Cordats)
ClassAves (Aus)
OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
GenusThalasseus (Crested Terns)
SpeciesThalasseus sandvicensis (Sandwich Tern)

Insufficient data

overall probability at Yala National Park

1 Verified records at Yala National Park

☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) is a tern in the family Laridae. It is very closely related to the lesser crested tern (T. bengalensis), Chinese crested tern (T. bernsteini), Cabot's tern (T. acuflavidus), and elegant tern (T. elegans) and has been known to interbreed with both elegant and lesser crested terns. It breeds in the Palearctic from Europe to the Caspian Sea, and winters in the Mediterranean and on the coasts of Africa, India, and Sri Lanka. The Sandwich tern is a medium-large tern with pale silvery-grey upperparts, white underparts, a yellow-tipped black bill, and a shaggy black crest which becomes less extensive in winter with a white crown. Young birds bear grey and blackish scalloped plumage on their backs and wings. It is a vocal bird. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Yala National Park

Thalasseus bergii

<5% · Rare

Thalasseus bengalensis

<5% · Rare

Chlidonias hybrida

40–50% · Likely

Gelochelidon nilotica

20–30% · Possible

Sternula albifrons

10–20% · With luck

Chlidonias leucopterus

Hydroprogne caspia

Anous stolidus

Sterna hirundo

Onychoprion anaethetus

<5% · Rare

Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus

Insufficient data

Anous tenuirostris

Insufficient data

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Sandwich Tern at Yala National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Probability
1	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	50–60%
2	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	40–50%
3	Paracas National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	20–30%
4	Península Valdés	🇦🇷 Argentina	20–30%
5	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	10–20%
6	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	10–20%
7	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	10–20%
8	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	10–20%
9	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	5–10%
10	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	5–10%
11	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	5–10%
12	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	5–10%
13	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	5–10%
14	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	5–10%
15	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	5–10%
16	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	5–10%
17	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	5–10%
18	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	5–10%
19	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
20	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
21	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
22	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
23	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
24	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
25	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
26	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
27	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
28	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
29	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
30	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
31	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
32	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	<5%
33	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
34	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
35	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
36	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
37	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
38	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
39	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
40	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
41	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	Insufficient data
42	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
43	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
44	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
45	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	Insufficient data
46	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
47	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
48	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	Insufficient data
49	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
50	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data
51	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	Insufficient data

← Back to Yala National Park

Sandwich Tern

Closest Relatives at Yala National Park

Crested Tern

Lesser Crested Tern

Whiskered Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Little Tern

White-winged Tern

Caspian Tern

Brown Noddy

Common Tern

Bridled Tern

Brown-headed Gull

Lesser Noddy

📅 Monthly Probability

☀️ When They're Spotted

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found